Un film dramatique

Collège Dora Maar is in Saint-Denis, a suburb of Paris. Artist and filmmaker Eric Baudelaire spent four years following the pupils in a film class at this secondary school. He kept himself pretty much on the sidelines; the children film themselves, each other and their surroundings, and discuss the meaning and possibilities of film as a medium. What questions and emotions are they dealing with, and how do they see their place in a rapidly changing world?

Their observations are intuitive, everyday and inquisitive. They view the things around them as only children can: with curiosity, openness and surprising insight. The discussions of themes such as racism, immigration and identity on the other hand are passionate and mature. As time passes almost unnoticed, it becomes clear that Un film dramatique is a workshop for the children; not only are they co-directors of the film, but also the subjects of their own lives and one another’s.